Our history

Born with a purpose

In 1946, Roy Farrell and Sydney de Kantzow – two ex-Air Force pilots known for flying ‘The Hump’ over the Himalayas – had the idea to fly much-needed goods from Australia into post-war China. From there came Cathay Pacific, an airline fuelled by its founders' passion for flying and love of the region.

In fact, our very name originates from Roy Farrell’s sense of ambition – that the new airline would one day cross the vast Pacific Ocean from China. This progressive thinking and optimism for the future was proven right less than thirty years later with our first transpacific flight.

Follow our Journey

We have always been a force for positive change in Asia and beyond – moving past what others have done, and onwards from our previous achievements.

1/131946: The first freight service from Australia to China leads to the creation of Cathay Pacific in Hong Kong.

2/131960: The first international airline to fly to Osaka.

3/131976: The first Asian carrier to launch a freighter service brand, Cathay Pacific Cargo.

4/131982: The first to fly non-stop from Hong Kong to Vancouver, setting a brand new world record.

5/131983: The first to fly non-stop from Hong Kong to London.

6/131983: The first Asian airline to offer First, Business and Economy services on every flight.

7/131990: The first non-stop service between Hong Kong and Los Angeles.

8/131991: The first to introduce custom-designed stacked flight simulators.

9/131998: The first non-stop flight from Hong Kong to New York, Polar One, celebrates the world’s longest flight.

10/132001: The first to launch an online check-in service.

11/132007: The first to create a carbon-offset programme.

12/132014: The first to win Skytrax’s World’s Best Airline four times.

13/132018: The first non-stop flight from Hong Kong to Ireland.

1/13

1946: The first freight service from Australia to China leads to the creation of Cathay Pacific in Hong Kong.

2/13

1960: The first international airline to fly to Osaka.

3/13

1976: The first Asian carrier to launch a freighter service brand, Cathay Pacific Cargo.

4/13

1982: The first to fly non-stop from Hong Kong to Vancouver, setting a brand new world record.

5/13

1983: The first to fly non-stop from Hong Kong to London.

6/13

1983: The first Asian airline to offer First, Business and Economy services on every flight.

7/13

1990: The first non-stop service between Hong Kong and Los Angeles.

8/13

1991: The first to introduce custom-designed stacked flight simulators.

9/13

1998: The first non-stop flight from Hong Kong to New York, Polar One, celebrates the world’s longest flight.